Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The Imagination Library mails more than 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to dream more, learn more, care more and be more.

The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. 

     

After the USVI territory was impacted by 2 category 5 hurricanes and the VICM was operating as a mobile museum, looking for ways to support children and families despite being a museum without walls, our friends at Scoops and Brew brought the DPIL concept to our attention. We became the local DPIL affiliate in 2018 and the program continues to grow and inspire young minds. As of November 2025, the VICM with the help of grants, fundraising efforts, and DPIL sponsors have gifted 135,172 books to children through the USVI!